


so we shall be one, and one another's all

by bryar6



Category: Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones, Howl no Ugoku Shiro | Howl's Moving Castle, Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types
Genre: Character Study, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendly banter, Gen, One Big Disaster Family, Post-Canon, but slightly mishmashed with movie, leans towards book
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:36:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bryar6/pseuds/bryar6
Summary: Life, as Howl and Sophie have learned, is not a straightforward course on a smooth road. It's full of twists and bumps and sights and more, and why should one of the most important events of their lives be any different?Or, a grand, fluffy, funny fic in which Sophie and Howl are to be married, featuring everyone's favorite disaster family now becoming official.
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sophie Hatter & Howl Pendragon, Sophie Hatter/Howl Pendragon
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	so we shall be one, and one another's all

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the Jon Donne poem [ Lovers' Infiniteness](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44121/lovers-infiniteness).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophie did think things were getting just a little boring around the castle, but little does she know they won't be for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very fluffy and fun first chapter to kick us off. There might be small nods to the movie but this does mainly read for the bookverse, particularly with character portrayals. If you haven't read it yet, I would highly recommend it!

“I do say,” Howl begins, sweeping through the doorway with his arms full of fresh hydrangea bundles, “I think we need more excitement back in our lives.” 

“I, for one, thought the momentary peace was nice,” Calcifer protests, spluttering in the fireplace. 

“Am I not enough of a nuisance anymore?” Sophie presses, letting the smallest smile grow on her face. “I can change that if you like.” 

“Dear, you’re a thorn in my and Michael’s sides always,” he says in a complimentary manner, his voice soft and light as he brushes past her to set the blooms in large metal tubs. 

“And mine!” the fire demon butts in, crackling as though to draw attention to himself. 

“Cal, you don’t have a side,” Howl reminds him, not looking up from mixing in the flower formula with the water. He bumps the basin and water sloshes over the side, quickly ignored. Sophie notices of course, sighing but willing to give him a moment to notice before scolding. 

“So what brought this on?” Sophie asks, glancing over her shoulder while keeping at the ribbons she ties around delicate bouquets. 

Howl pauses and straightens, a sort of deliberately puzzled look on his face. “Can’t say, really. Must be something in the wind.” A wink is added to the secondary comment and she narrows her eyes. 

“Not sure I like where this is going,” she mutters to the crystalline vase perched on the windowsill. It of course says nothing in return, though she is far more careful to not slip up and give it a purpose. Howl vanishes to the upstairs, no doubt going to retrieve his newest of suits now that the morning’s dirty work is finished and he has less a chance of soiling it. Not that really any damage was undoable with his magic involved but at the very least she wouldn’t be tempted to clean it, oh the horror. 

“Sophie!” 

She startles at the call of her name, not Howl as she hears the water running upstairs (he’d better not be making yet another mess of all his stupid potions and powders) instead turning to the doorway and the steps, finding a young face peering through from the Market Chipping portal. 

“Oh, Michael,” she says, relieved. “What now?” 

He nervously brushes at his hair and tugs on his cap. “Martha and I are to head out for the day, that is, if it’s alright. I see it’s quiet in the shop.” 

“Oddly so, don’t you think,” she says, adding a bit of an accusatory stare. He shrugs harmlessly, snagging a few yellow blooms from the nearest basin. “But yes, of course that’s fine. I can care for this castle of my own accord you know.” Calcifer makes a _fwoosh_ of flame that resembles a snort and Michael grins. 

“Don’t let Howl hear you saying that. I’ll bring home that nice cake for you,” he adds, halfway out the door, loose petals fluttering around in the breeze coming through the portal. _Ever the sweetest boy around, what a good thing he found my sister._

“Good! Send Martha my love,” she calls after him, laughing lightly as he skips away. 

“Is he gone so soon?” Howl asks, peering over the banister with his pink and blue and gold suit draped over his shoulders. 

“Apparently so. He’s out with Martha today though I don’t suppose you happen to have anything to do with this mysterious lack of business for such a nice morning.” 

“And if I did so happen to have anything to do with it, whatever would be your response?” he teases, throwing a couple logs within reach of Calcifer’s small arms. Even though the fire demon no longer needs the wood to keep himself burning, he seems to have a bit of a smoker’s habit and frequently falls back on the favored “old habits die hard” excuse, but everyone is more than happy to have him around. Certainly easier than keeping a real fire, Sophie thinks, even if it means putting up with the commentary. 

“I’d properly tell you it’s positively preposterous and pointless.” She rests her cleaning rag on the counter and absently rearranges misplaced tools and materials as Howl paces about, looking almost as if he’s searching for something. 

“Well, I’m afraid this will yet remain a mystery in any case, and that we really should be off, look at the time,” he says, trotting to the door and clicking the square knob a couple times, the door chiming as it crosses portals. She raises her eyebrows, setting her apron aside. “Calcifer, watch the castle while we’re out.” 

“Is this an occasion or something?” she asks, spotting the lingering puddle he’d left, frustratingly too late. He loops an arm around her waist and they’re soon out of the door and standing amid their gardens. She receives no answer as he pulls her into the fields by his thin hand, unperturbed. 

It’s absolutely gorgeous, she admits, allowing herself to just absorb the sight for once rather than training her eye for the best roses and lupine, the glistening waters and the gentle slopes rolling on for what feels like forever from this vantage point on the ground. With the ending of the Witch of the Waste, the fields only grow, with some decent encouragement from herself. It was difficult at first to press the plants any further than Howl’s magic had allotted them to continue initially, but it only seems more possible that the Wastes will one day be beautiful fields teeming with happy wildlife, the old decrepit castle reclaimed, and the Witch but a fairy tale.

Sunlight dapples the ground through the clouds and makes the water almost blindingly bright. Howl beside her has his eyes closed, feeling the sunlight on his skin. For a brief moment she wonders just how many days he’d spent without it, pouring over spells or moping in his bedroom, but according to both Calcifer and Michael, he is good at moving about for exercise even if his purposes are not always noble. Though, come to think of it, her own young body has begun to feel a little restless, be it the regained mobility or the general lack of chaos for the past months, she can’t be sure. Perhaps Howl is right about their dull livelihoods. 

“What’s our adventure today?” she asks. He draws himself back into the present and his eyes flash a knowing green, grinning wider. 

“I thought we’d have a little fun and a day off,” he says. “Can’t be spoiling all the details now can I?” 

So a date then, not unlike the ones Michael often tumbled in home from in the late afternoons, though she guesses this one with Howl will involve far less pastry and far more chaos if she knows the wizard at all. Which in her opinion, is just as enjoyable. Usually. 

“Then lead the way.” 

He does so gladly, bounding off through the heather with her quick at his heels left to chase after on the worn paths. How these old paths had emerged she can only guess magic, as they look worn down from years of walking and trail across the hills. They reach the top of a slope, panting a little. Howl gestures for Sophie to come stand beside him and together they look back down into the valley, at Market Chipping so far away and the outline of Porthaven just barely visible on the distant horizon.

“I do love this place,” Howl says, his hair dancing about his face in the wind. “You know, we wandered so much to keep the Witch at bay, and also because Calcifer loves to roam. He won’t tell you between all the complaining though.”

Howl’s eyes sparkle now and he grins so widely that Sophie can’t help it overtaking her own features. “Come on now, adventure awaits us.” With that, he snaps his fingers and a parasol is now gently held in one hand over their heads as they walk together. Sophie takes his arm and breathes the scent of the many flowers. 

The rest of the day is spent in the mountain meadows and the orchards, chasing after butterflies and braiding flowers into each other’s hair and talking of nothing of importance, letting the breeze guide their steps, an almost suspiciously beautiful afternoon. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“When are we headed back?” Sophie asks, walking alongside Howl and finding her steps by the light of a faint glowing spell he’d cast before them shortly after the sun had disappeared in glorious, vibrant hues of pink and gold. 

“Not yet. Just a couple more things.” She just nods in response, the fireflies darting about in the field catching her attention with their flickering and coming-and-going. 

“I can’t imagine you were much able to enjoy the stars when you were out here chasing them with Michael,” Howl comments, eyes cast skyward, stumbling over the marshy ground a little, though staying firmly undeterred. 

“No, not really,” she admits, following his gaze and tipping her head back as far as possible to take in the grand ceiling of the night. “What was it like?” 

“What was what like?” 

“You know. Catching Calcifer.” 

“Oh.” A meditative pause. “Well, frankly, a little scary. I am still a coward after all. Have always been. I’d heard about catching falling stars, making pacts to advance your magic. It was in this old book of Mrs. Pentstemmon’s I wasn’t supposed to have. Megan probably sold the thing. Anyways. I didn’t know what I was doing, I just stood out in these fields one night, somewhere over there,” he says, gesturing to the edges of the stream a bit beyond them. 

“I put my hands out and waited for one to come to me. I’d tried chasing them; most want to die, it’s their destiny or so they believe, makes it damn near impossible. But Calcifer was different. He landed in my hands and well, when you make a pact with a demon they have to take something of yours. Maybe your eyes, or your ears, hair, some people have given limbs. The stronger and more important whatever you give them is, the more your magic advances. I gave Calcifer my heart, as you know.” 

“A horribly stupid thing to do,” Sophie jabs. But it’s a gentle one and he rolls his eyes. “Were you afraid? When you made the contract?” 

“Some. But he didn’t burn. It was done and secured before either of us knew it. But that’s all so far behind now. Surely you don’t want to linger on this,” he says, shaking himself from it. 

“No, not really,” she agrees. He gasps then, head twisting around to follow a streaking blur that whistles across the sky. It’s her turn for surprise when the next one tailing the first star is a fiery, hot and flaming thing. “Is that one a fire demon like Calcifer?” 

Howl nods. “I think so. Beautiful creatures, aren’t they?” 

“Don’t let Cal hear you say that,” she snickers, elbowing him lightly. “He’ll put the whole castle up in flames.” 

“Best not,” he agrees, slipping an arm around her and threading one hand through her hair, carefully teasing out knots. 

She resists the urge to push him away teasingly; she gets knots no matter what she does, curse that lucky Howl and his probably magicked straight hair. Instead she takes comfort in the closeness out in these fields where everything else feels so far away. It’s been a beautifully, flawless day of adventuring, exploring, picnicking, being away from the world while still so close, a little pocket in time all to themselves. She really couldn’t ask for better.

“Thank you for today,” she says, tipping her head back against his shoulder and looking up at his face, the pulsing shadows flickering over his face in time with the hum of his light spell.

“Just a thank you?” he teases. She scoffs now, but jumps onto the tips of her toes and places a quick kiss on his cheek.

As his lips curl into a soft relaxed smile with a faint blush playing on his cheeks, the familiar warm feeling settles in her chest and she wonders if the comforting heat is something Howl feels too, if maybe he compares it to the feeling of Calcifer’s warmth engulfing his heart, or if that felt like anything at all. But those are questions for another day. They stay like this, together and content, for many peaceful moments. She can almost swear she smells the sulphur from the stars criss-crossing high above. 

“Sophie, I have something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” He clears his throat with an air of importance, one hand gently wringing the other. His eyes finally are torn off the sky and now land on her. 

“Surprised you haven’t butted in with it already, but go on.” 

“Very funny. Sophie…” He sighs and pauses, mouth opening and closing until the words come back to him, hands now clasped behind his back. “I know it hasn’t been so terribly long, but it feels like it’s been years with you, the adventures and chaos and curses and everything. And I want that— _this_ for the rest of our lives no matter how long or short or magical and insane and no-good-awful and wonderful it’ll be. And, well. I should just say it, shouldn’t I.” 

He makes a show of lowering himself to one knee, sweeping the sleeves of his suit over his shoulders, head tipped up to meet her eyes. He extends a soft, golden ring, of the same impressive craftsmanship his own are, a large orange jewel in the setting. The engravings match one he currently wears and that she hadn’t seen before, but his is silver, the gemstone gentle blue. _Whatever magic has he enchanted these with?_ she thinks, but that line of thought is quickly interrupted.

“Would you marry me, Sophie?” 

“Oh, Howl,” she says, breath catching in her throat because _he’s said it, he really finally has_ , reaching a hand out to gently cup his cheek. He leans into her palm. “You really didn’t have to go through all this fuss.” 

He laughs a bit, face plainly showing his relief. “Of course I did, Sophie, it’s not every day you ask the love of your life to marry you,” he says, all matter-of-factly, taking her left hand in his and slipping the ring over her finger with a satisfied hum. It fits impossibly well.

“It’s not, is it? Because really, what was the ‘happily ever after’ commentary about? I— I took that to mean— well, I don’t know, I thought I was overthinking even that, I’ll be honest. But what about all those other times you said something so peculiarly confusing that really could have been taken as proposals?” She accentuates her words with a poking finger, producing a smile and an eye roll from him. “I thought one day you’d just start referring to us as married out of the blue or something and that would be that. Not that there’s anything wrong with, well, this.” Nothing wrong with it at all, if you asked her. 

Howl shrugs, nonchalant. “Yes, but I thought it safe to assume you wouldn’t get subtlety if it hit you over the head. In all the best ways, darling.” Ever so perfectly blunt, she thinks, but scoffs in mock offense at his words. 

“We’re both such messes, aren’t we?” 

“When aren’t we?” he chuckles. “But trust me. This is perfect the way it is. Don’t change a bit.” 

“Oh, I know _you_ won’t change, you’re a stubborn and obstinate old thing, worse than a—” 

“Hey now! I was being _nice_ ,” he protests, his smile only growing. “You know, you never did give me an answer.” He bumps her shoulder lightly with his, tipping his head curiously. 

“You’re thick,” she exclaims, grabbing his hand as if it’s the only thing keeping her from reaching out and smacking him. “Of course it’s a yes. Happy now?” 

“Couldn’t possibly be happier.” 

“Truly?”

“Truly.” 

Before she can register it, he’s swept her up into his arms and spun her around, his forehead pressed to hers and a hearty chuckle joining her giggle of surprise as they twirl through the tall grasses for a moment before he trips over his own feet and sends them gently sprawling on the ground in a tangled mess of laughter.

Sophie turns her head to him, finding his brilliant green eyes already fixed on her, that soft look of admiration capturing her in return, his smile drawing her right in like it had from the very beginning, those early days that now feel so long, long ago. But she knows she’d do it all over again in a heartbeat, curses and scarecrows and witches and all. 

“I love you, Howl,” she whispers, knowing she doesn’t need to breathe life into these words to make them any more real or truthful to them both. 

“And I, you,” he responds in kind, leaning forward and pressing a delicate kiss to her lips, one hand gently brushing her hair back from her face. 

Sophie is suddenly struck with a grand and terrifying realization and it breaks her from the peace of this moment. 

“Now we have to plan a wedding,” she groans, pulling away to press her hands to her head. 

“We could just elope, you know,” he suggests, eyes shining with mischief. 

“Absolutely not, you— _I_ have an entire castle to take care of, I’ll have you know. Besides, you know that Lettie and Martha would strangle us, and Michael too if we left him with Calcifer.” 

“Damn. I suppose you’re right. No matter, I don’t want to think about that right now, so I won’t,” he says, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in the crook of her neck with a light, happy sigh. 

She resists the urge to roll her eyes and to properly scold him for the ridiculous sentiment. Though now she thinks about it, running off and abandoning responsibilities does sound rather nice, if not very Howl in nature. 

“Maybe I’ll compromise. And this had better _not_ get out of hand,” she warns, an edge of playful seriousness to her voice. 

“No promises. Come on, let’s take the winds home, shall we?” 

He’s swept her up before she knows it and a cool summer breeze lifts them into the air to trot along the empty skies and into the starry night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm guessing this fic will ultimately have 3 or 5 parts, but I have yet to find out how much time it'll need so we'll find out as this goes on. Rest assured, it will be complete one day, and hopefully not too far into the future! Let me know if you enjoyed it and have a lovely day! <3


End file.
